More than 300 people attended a lively debate on Friday between Sean Anstee, Andy Burnham and Jane Brophy.

The GM Mayoral Debate was the first hustings between the three main candidates hoping to become the city region’s Mayor, and was organised by Place North West, in association with Lovell Partnerships, Iceni Projects and PPS Group.

Anstee is leader of Trafford Council and the Conservative candidate; Andy Burnham is MP for Leigh and the Labour candidate; and Jane Brophy, councillor for Timperley.

Although I am voting for Burnham,he shouldn’t think that people are over-enamoured with him.He is the only one anyone outside GM knows,and that is my reason.If George Osborne had stood,I would have voted for him,because I truly believe he wants GM to succeed on a bigger stage.Burnham was part of a government with huge majorities, that could have invested billions in Manchester and other Northern cities and chose not to,consistently cancelling promised projects and bending over backwards to keep people in the South East,who had never voted Labour before,well catered for.Let us not forget Daresbury,the Merseyside Metrolink,the National stadium,the Super casino and the biggest let down for GM,the Manchester Metrolink Big Bang,which delayed the expansion of public transport in GM for years,depriving people in South Manchester,Oldham,Rochdale, and Ashton,quick access to Central Manchester,and all of us an integrated network to the North’s biggest economic success story,Manchester airport.Let us hope when elected he rights a few of those wrongs.If the Tories win the West Midlands,it won’t take a genius to know where Theresa May will be sending the cheques.So let us hope that he doesn’t enter into too many spats with Downing street.I wish him well.